Work
Mei, Lan, Zhu, Ju
for string quartet and piano
Films, Audio & Samples
About
Piano Quintet Mei, Lan, Zhu, Ju was commissioned by the 2009 Christchurch International Arts Festival in New Zealand through funds provided by Creative New Zealand.
The extra-musical idea behind the piece is Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, four plants that have significant symbolism in Chinese culture. Plum blossoms (Mei梅), orchids (Lan兰), bamboo (Zhu竹), and chrysanthemums (Ju菊), each represent a character of noble attributes, poetic temperament and moral strength within the context of ancient Chinese literati life. Their association with art and artists is well-known in China, and the four characters as a set is one of the most popular themes for calligraphy artists. Even today, a commonly seen decoration in a home or office is a 4-fold screen on which the images of the four plants are painted.
Each of the four movements is dedicated to these ideas. Though my music is hardly a literal depiction of the subjects, it nevertheless reflects my thoughts and feelings towards them.
Gao Ping
Commissioned note
Commissioned by the Christchurch International Arts Festival 2009
Performance history
02 Aug 2009: T'ang Quartet and John Chen
03 Aug 2009: Abundant Lands
31 Oct 2009: Performed by John Chen (piano) and T'ang Quartet at D. Pedro V. Theatre, in Macau. Presented as part of the Macau International Music Festival.
05 Oct 2013: Journey to the East - Composer Portrait: Gao Ping